Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I purchased a corn from a pet shop around the september 03 i thought it was a hatchling but have recently found out it was already three months old and although i have been feeding it up as it was v.thin when i got it it does not seem to be gaining any girth it is now 9 months old and only 15-17" maximum and very slender. is this normal growth as i have only had adult corns before. he seems in good health and is very very tame but i was just curious.he eats pinkies which are dusted with a supplement and his set-up is a 36"Lx18"DX18"H and temps and humidity are all fine.
cheers
mat

It sounds a little on the small side, but within the size-range for a snake that age. If the snake was skinny at 3 months of age, then he's probably spent several months gaining back weight, and then had a few more months to grow. It won't necessarily affect his final size, however... It just may take him longer to reach a proper length. It sounds like you're doing all the right things, though.

Incidentally, a 'hatchling' is defined as any snake born that year. Ergo, an '03 hatchling could have hatched in April or October, and still have been a hatchling up until Jan. 1st, 2004. Or, if you want to use a looser but more logical definition, a hatchling is a snake that's under one year of age. Either way, you were not misled on the snake's age, though it sounds like his condition was less than desirable.

-Kat
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"You keep WHAT in your freezer?"
"Mice. And rats. If that bothers you, I can call them 'cows' instead."

I'm with Kat. Also, in the first 1-1.5 years, corns tend to grow in length more than in thickness. They bulk up later.

Paul Hollander

I'd be careful about which supplement you dust your pinkies with. I have not heard too many good things about it for snakes. Just my opinion though. A quality mouse should have all the nutritional value a snake needs in its food for a healthy life. -Jason
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www.members.aol.com/northeastsnakes